Antidiotico [Digipak] (CD - 2007)

Additional personnel: Miguelmundi Lizama (tres); Ludovic Louis (trumpet); Jorge Lopez (trombone); Vicente Hessing (piano); Mig One (drum machine); Vladimir Nunez De Moya (percussion); Beatríz Luengo, Dago Padrino (unknown instrument); Beny Moré, Heather Headley.

Seven years into their recording career, Orishas saw the highlights of their three full-length albums compiled on the triple-disc CD/DVD collection Antidiotico alongside a bunch of non-album material and promotional videos. The resulting collection is certainly exhausting -- three discs of material for a group with only three albums to its credit -- and does double duty, serving the needs of both neophytes as well as completists. The first disc, a 15-track collection of highlights from Orishas' three albums, is an ideal introduction for neophytes to the group. A Lo Cubano (2000), the full-length album debut of Orishas, remains the group's crowning achievement. A groundbreaking Latin rap album, fusing Afro-Cuban rhythms and tropical melodies with hip-hop beats and socially conscious raps, A Lo Cubano deserves a full listen and is the best starting point for listeners more interested in Latin rap than the musical fusion of subsequent albums. However, the follow-up albums Emigrante (2002) and El Kilo (2005) found Orishas evolving with each go-round, fusing more and more styles into their music and getting further and further away from their Latin rap roots. By showcasing the highlights from each of these three albums plus two new recordings, the first disc of Antidiotico encompasses all stages of Orishas' evolution from a groundbreaking Latin rap quartet to an increasingly original Latin fusion trio. Plus, it's sequenced non-chronologically, which makes the group seem all the more stylistically diverse. The second disc of Antidiotico -- rounding up remixes and other non-album material, none of it essential -- is primarily of interest to completists. The third disc, a DVD compiling promotional videos for eight of the group's singles, is a welcome addition, especially for devoted fans, but it's also inessential. The problem with tacking on the latter two discs of respective rarities and videos is that it drives up the purchase price of Antidiotico. Thankfully, a single-disc edition featuring only the first disc of highlights was also released, so neophytes need not pay extra money for a bunch of extraneous material primarily of interest to completists. ~ Jason Birchmeier minimize